Improvement in machines for cleaning grass-seeds



J. L. FISHER. Machine for Cleaning Grass-Seeds.

No. 221,453 Patented Nov. 11, 1879.

NJ'ETERS. PNOTOLITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. FISHER, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HISRIGHT TO PATRICK CARROLL, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES EOR CLEANING GRASS-SEEDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,453, dated November11, 1879 application filed July 10, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. FISHER, of the city of Lexington, county ofFayette and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Machines for Cleaning Grass-Seeds, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for cleaninggrass-seed; and it consists inthe combination of a cover, a concavescreen, and a shaft, .havingsecured to it a spiral conveyer, around theedge of which are secured a number of spiral rods, arranged as will bemore fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of referenceindicate the same parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machineembodying my invention, with a part of the top covering cut away,showing a sectional view of apart of the spiral cylinder and its mode ofoperation. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the front of same, giving asectional view of the hopper, of a part of the top covering of thecylinder and the gear-wheels, and the means for applying motive power.Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rear end of same.

A is the frame-work of the machine; B, the top cover; C, the hopper; D,the shaft of the spiral cylinder;'E, the spiral of sheet metal, and Fthe rods attached to the edges of the spiral sheets, not only for thepurpose of sustainin g said sheet-metal-spirals in their position, butalso for the purpose of more thoron ghly separating the chaff and seed;G G are the gear-wheels of the motive power; H, the

crude grass-seed in the chaff; I, the fly-wheel for rcgulatin g themotive power; J, the crankhandle of said fly-wheel K, the crank at therear end, which gives motion to the lower screen, N, by means of thearms L and M; P, chaff thrown out at the rear end of the machine; S, thecleaned seed after passing through the sieve N.

The operation of my machine is as follows When the power is applied tothe spiral cylinder after the hopper has been filled with the seed inthe chaff, as at H, the spiral blade E on said shaft D, in connectionwith the rods F on the same, which I also attach spirally to said blade,will thoroughly beat and winnow the chaff and seed so as to separate thesame and permit the seed to drop through the first or concave screen onthe lower screen, N,

which is kept in constant motion by means of the crank K at the rear endof the machine, which operates sieve N by means of the arms L and M, andthereby sifts the seed through the same, as seen at S, and the chaiiP isemptied at the rear end of the machine, both from the screen immediatelyunder the spiral cylinder, as well as from the end of the lower screen,N.

What I claim is The combination of the top B, concave screen, shaft D,carrying the spiral conveyer E, and spirally-arranged rods F, attachedto the spiral conveyer at its periphery, substantially as shown anddescribed.

JOHN L. FISHER.

Witnesses:

JOHN MGMURIRY, J. L. GILMORE.

